The war in Ukraine will be entering its fifth year on Tuesday, with no end in sight. These charts provide a grim picture of the conflict so far.

Russia’s full-scale invasion has forced at least 5.9 million Ukrainians to flee their homes since 2022. The country’s infrastructure, especially housing, has been badly damaged. Wheat exports, so important to the economy, have fallen.

Over the past year, the most significant change has been Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. Western military assistance is falling. At the same time, Russian attacks, with drones in particular, have increased.

The impact on women, men and children has been lethal and dramatic. Last year was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the first year of the war, with at least 2,500 killed. But even that figure must take into account that, without independent access to the roughly 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation, it is difficult to say with certainty how many have died.

What is certain is that Ukraine’s suffering shows little sign of ending as the Russian war machine relentlessly grinds on.

Territory

While territorial shifts occurred rapidly during the initial phase of the invasion, they have slowed considerably in recent years. Russia’s control over Ukraine remained relatively constant in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Russian forces held between 17.9 and 18.52 per cent of Ukraine in 2023 and 2024, rising to 19.32 per cent by the end of 2025.

Refugees

According to the UNHCR, nearly six million refugees from Ukraine – the majority of them women and children – were recorded globally, constituting one of Europe’s largest displacement crises since the Second World War.

Economic damage and loss

According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by the government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission and the UN, the war had caused US$176-billion in total damage to Ukraine as of Dec. 31, 2024, most of it to housing, energy, extractives, transport, commerce, industry and agriculture. Disruptions to economic activity and additional costs such as debris management have caused economic losses of more than US$589-billion.

The European Council reports that grain production declined by approximately 29 per cent during the 2022–23 season, as the result of continuing conflict, infrastructure damage and export disruptions.

Drones

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces now employ drones for artillery targeting, monitoring troop movements and conducting cost-effective attacks. While comprehensive data on drone deployment remains limited, reports since 2023 indicate a rapid increase in their use.

Ukraine’s budget for weapons procurement

In 2025, Ukraine spent nearly 1.3-trillion hryvnias (US$31-billion) on weapons procurement, almost 72 per cent more than the earmarked amount for that year.

War in Ukraine: More from The Globe and MailThe Decibel podcast

Since the war began, Russia has been spiriting away young Ukrainians to training camps designed to turn them against their homeland. Reporter Mark MacKinnon spoke with The Decibel last year about a project, partly funded by Canada, that tracks the children so they can be brought home one day. Subscribe for more episodes.

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When Ukraine’s day of tragedy became tragically normal

Chilly Kyiv, beset by blackouts, tackles a new kind of cold war

Lured into the Russian army, Africans face heavy casualties in Ukraine

Video: On the Russian side of the front

The Globe embedded with Russian forces in late 2025, getting a firsthand look at the drone war with Ukraine and its impact on the battlefield and civilians.

The Globe and Mail